


How Clint Got His Bow

by BlackHawk13



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clintasha - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-24
Updated: 2012-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 16:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/468095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHawk13/pseuds/BlackHawk13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short on how Clint got his awesome bow</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Clint Got His Bow

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly I don't own Clint, Natasha, or any of the Avengers

Clint loves his bow. Natasha could tell from the first time she met him. Which happened to be at arrowpoint, but that’s another story. When they got to his hotel room the first thing he did was clean his spotless bow. Clint gently put it away then cleaned all of his arrows. He was meticulous. His fingers deft, his movements were sure and gentle. Natasha couldn’t help but watch him, couldn’t help but think of what else his hands were good at. 

* * * 

The second time she noticed it was on the helicarrier. They were on their way to their first mission together. Natasha’s first mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. at all. He ran his fingers along the case like a caress before opening it. Clint spent half the ride looking over his bow. He made sure it was strung right and the string wasn’t fraying. Clint made sure there was no scratch, break, or scuff on any inch of his beloved weapon. When he was satisfied with his bow he gingerly laid it back in it’s case and moved on to his arrows. 

* * * 

They’re first Christmas together was the first one she celebrated in years. Feeling the need to buy something for the two people who changed her life Natasha went out shopping. And she hated shopping. It took her longer than she wanted. She didn’t know where to get what she wanted and there were way too many people. It took all she had not to kill everyone. 

Coulson was presently surprised she got him a Captain America tie. At least that’s what she chose to take his small smile as. Clint full out grinned when he opened his bow cleaning kit. He hugged her, and strangely enough she was ok with that. Natasha smiled and thanked Coulson for the gun cleaning kit. Clint’s present made her burst out laughing. It was an entire collection of PIXAR movies with a note demanding the watch all of them together. 

* * *   
Over the next two years the two of them grew closer together. Sometimes they would talk, share stories about their pasts. Most of the time they would just be next to each other in comfortable silence. Some part of their body would always be touching the other. Natasha grew to enjoy Clint’s nightly ritual of cleaning and putting away his bow. She liked the way he took his time, no matter how tired he was. Liked the way his muscles bunched and moved as he worked. Loved the way his blue eyes were so intense as they looked over his bow. Neither of them knew when or how it happened, but they started holding one another. Natasha slept best that way. With Clint’s strong arms around her, his calloused hands against her soft flesh.   
* * *   
Budapest changed everything. It was a mess from the start. Their information was bad and their cover was blown almost as soon as they landed. Clint lost his sense of humor when a bullet cut across his forehead. His reflexes were the only reason he wasn’t dead. 

When Natasha say him drop her body went cold. She forgot how to breathe. Shoving her fear aside she fought her way over to him. Clint’s eyes were closed and for a second she thought she would never see them open again. But then she saw his chest rise then fall. He was alive. Natasha holstered one gun and dragged Clint into the warehouse, somehow getting both of them under cover without being shot again. 

Natasha crawled over the rubble to get to the now conscious Clint, who was rubbing his hands over his bow. A nervous habit of his. “Let me look at that.” She said softly. 

Clint looked up, his eyes a little unfocused. “Tash…yeah, ok…” 

She wiped the blood away with her hands as gently as she could. “It’s still bleeding.” She pulled out some gauze from one of his pockets and pressed it against the cut. He winced but didn’t pull away. “How do you feel?”

“Nauseous. My head’s pounding.” 

Natasha nodded. “Can you see straight?”

“Yeah, but you have two heads.” 

She smiled. “Hopefully that will go away.” Natasha kept the gauze to his forehead until the bleeding stopped. “How many arrows do you have left?”

“Twenty. Two clips for my sidearm. One knife.” He looked at her, just inches from him. “You?”

“Three clips, handful of knives, and the Widow’s Bite.” 

The two of them stayed in their hideout for the rest of the night. The next morning brought a new set of problems. The assholes that were trying to kill them decided to be impatient. The first explosion shook the ceiling and woke them from the sleep they fell into. By the time the second cannon shot hit the warehouse they were up and running from the exit. Gunfire rained down on them as soon as they got within a foot of the door. Cursing they turned around and headed for the back door. That door and loading dock were heavily covered. The only place left for them to go was up. 

The building shook and walls crumbled as they climbed the stairs. The warehouse started to collapse as they hit the roof. They both ran as fast as they could, heading for the adjacent building. Clint was in the lead, being more sure footed in high places. The section of the roof gave way before they could make it to the edge. Clint jumped to a still solid section of the roof. Natasha wasn’t so lucky. Before she could fall to her death Clint caught her with one hand. But it wasn’t a good grip and she was slipping.

Without hesitating Clint dropped his bow and grabbed her with his other hand. He pulled her up and the two of them took off. They managed to slip past the small army and make it to their extraction point. 

When they climbed into the helicarrier Clint sat in his usual spot and Natasha in hers, right across from him. Clint touched the empty bow case and let out a whimper that was too cute to be pathetic. And Natasha’s heart sank. He had let got of his most prized possession in order to save her. 

* * * 

Two days later Clint was finally released from Med Bay. He trudged to his quarters with his head down. He was still too upset to make any truly witty remarks to anyone. He was so out of it in fact that he almost crushed the rectangular box on his bed. There was no note or anything with it. Curiosity took over. Clint opened the box to find another box inside. It was black and looked more case-like than box-like. His heart skipped a beat when he saw this black box had silver latches. He bit his bottom lip and flipped them open. Clint almost cried when he saw what was inside. 

It was a beautiful black bow. Left-handed with the type of grip he preferred. It was a recurve with collapsible arms to make travel easier. Clint rubbed his face roughly and blinked a few times. When he looked back down the bow was still there. His hand shook as he reached down to touch it. He traced his fingers along it. It was smooth, delicate, sturdy, and just beautiful. Clint gently closed the lid and left his room, in search of something. 

When he found his redhead she was leaving the gym. Clint pushed her against the wall and kissed her right there in the hall. 

Clint loved his bow. But he loved Natasha more. Especially since she bought him a new one.


End file.
